by K.N. Lee
This was what they had been destined to reclaim.
This was the Erani Empire.
And, Drako the Defiler was all that stood between them and reclaiming it. He was massive, with large, golden eyes that looked directly at her. His wings were the color of blood, and had holes throughout that reminded her of a tattered rag hung to dry. Then, there were his minions, small imps that surrounded him like an army of nightmarish creatures.
She stood tall, ready to fight—ready to lead—when the red sky went dark and the air went cold, and Drako’s voice filled her head.
Everyone went still, as the air grew thick and hot.
“Welcome home,” he said, and a low chuckle rumbled through the valley as Amalia was ripped away from Kylan’s side, and trapped within Drako’s talons.
She fought, her scream caught in her lungs as the wound she’d suffered at the hands of the golems throbbed. Eyes growing heavy, all Amalia saw was smoke and wings, and darkness.
Drako flew away with her, and a hot, feverish sleep overcame her.
There would be no returning home.
Not without the heir.
Not without the dragon master.
22
Awakening from death was a funny thing. A gasp for air usually occurred first. That was followed by a stinging of the bones and skin.
He'd done it more times than he could count, and each time was different. This time, he would return as a younger man.
Someone formidable—someone his enemies would quiver before with fear.
Einar opened his eyes, and beheld the darkness of the spirit world. The air was little more than smoke and fog, with glittering sparks of dead magic floating around like butterflies.
Within days, he would be ready.
Light awaited at the top of the cavernous space of black and quiet. It glowed at him, beckoning his return to the world of the living. Much of this world was of his creation, and it would never forsake him, even if his annoying brother and sister wished to see him fall.
They each came to this world at its inception, from the land of the gods. Aden.
Each had a task, and a goal, and he wasn’t sure when their paths differed.
No matter.
He’d send them away soon enough. He’d make the world new again, and start fresh if he had to.
Spirits kept their distance, watching as he materialized a new body.
The Brotherhood wasn't destroyed. No, such a thing wasn't remotely possible. This was merely a step back, and he would use it to his advantage.
A smirk came to his lips, and he licked them, noting the fullness. He glanced down, and watched flesh wrap around his bones and muscles as he hovered in the mist, above the effervescent, green Sea of Souls.
Amalia had surprised him.
His greatness creation had actually managed to kill him. There was no surprise in that. He made her powerful, beautiful, and she'd earned the skill and confidence to fight because of him.
All would fall into place.
He just needed to be patient...and at nearly six thousand years old…days, weeks, months, and years were little more than a minor nuisance.
This time—time was his best friend.
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Waking the Dark is available for preorder! Check it out.
Magic. Betrayal. Vengeance.
We lost the war...
...but not our souls.
After nearly a century at war with the blood elves, the humans have lost and now serve their enemy. As my age to serve approaches, I battle not the elves who stole everything from us...but my own people and an ancient magic that brews inside of me.
An Exclusive Excerpt from Throne of Deceit
My mother and I were summoned just after dawn. The king’s guard must have ridden through the night, for we’d barely started our breakfast when they came knocking on the manor doors.
We dressed, and packed a trunk for the journey, and just like that, we were ripped from our lives to heed the king’s call.
As we walked to the carriage, I couldn’t help but glance at the guards as they watched us.
The king’s whore.
The king’s bastard.
I knew that’s what the kingdom called us, but at least the guards were kind enough not to whisper it in our midst like most.
We cuddled in the back of the carriage as the wind blew in and bit at our faces. My mother wrapped a heavy blanket around us, and back to sleep we went, prepared for the long journey.
I always knew my father was a cruel man.
He never hugged or kissed me, and when I was just a child, I’d watched him beat my mother for simply saying hello to one of the lords of court.
He didn’t care that the lord happened to be her cousin, and that she’d denied all offers for marriage to be his mistress.
No. King Aleron was a jealous man—one driven by power and lust—and we all bowed to his commands.
Dutiful subjects.
Fools.
Nearly a full day rolled by as we rode through the countryside to the capital city of Perth. As soon as we crossed the bridge over the Crystal River, where enchanted waters flowed, the shining white palace glinted in the sunlight in the distance.
An Exclusive Excerpt from The Blood Lottery
Whispers. Beckoning. The trees in the distance rustled as if in greeting, urging me to take the leap, and shed my dismal life.
If only I had the courage.
I scraped caked-in blood from my ragged fingertips. Me and the other workers had toiled for hours while the cold wind blew at our backs.
As I stood at the top of The Wall, overlooking what was left of the Old World, I coughed and rubbed at my frozen nose. Wetness smeared on my knuckles, only making me colder.
From this high up, the quiet and peace was worth every frozen finger and toe. For a moment, I pretended to be free, picturing myself at the helm of a ship as it sailed across the Karcadian Sea.
Veruth was the largest kingdom on the Aranthian continent, but none of us would know it. We’d never been outside of those walls.
“See anything, Ava?” Ford asked, breaking me from my thoughts. He called up from the platform just below mine. “Any monsters? Anything at all?”
I glanced down at him, his murky, brown eyes hooded by thick black hair that constantly whipped into his face as the Northern winds continued their assault.
Taking another look, I wished I had seen something. Was the mysterious Dark out there, floating around and breeding new terrors like the elves and our ancestors said?
So far, I’d never seen it. Some wondered if it even existed. Centuries had passed since it had shown itself. No luck catching a glimpse today. But, to the east, over the city, I did see the magical Sky Keep where the elvish monks lived. Though faint, I could see wyverns flying above it, weaving in and out of the thick clouds.
I’d give anything to go there one day, even if just for a moment.
I shook my head. “Nothing,” I said, glancing back up as I held onto the black pole at the top of the stone structure meant to protect us from the creatures across the wall.
The unnerving silence on the other side always captivated me since I’d taken this job. While we were slaves within the walls, there was such eerie beauty in the wilderness. As I gazed into the horizon, mountains emerged from the thick green of the forest, and the sea stretched all across the east.
About the Author
K.N. Lee is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. When she is not writing twisted tales, fantasy novels, and dark poetry, she does a great deal of traveling and promotes other authors. Wannabe rockstar, foreign language enthusiast, and anime geek, K.N. Lee also enjoys helping others reach their writing and publishing goals. She is a winner of the Elevate Lifestyle Top 30 Under 30 "Future Leaders of Charlott
e" award.
She is signed with Captive Quill Press and Patchwork Press.
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Also by K.N. Lee
The Dragon Born Saga:
Half-Blood Dragon
Magic-Born Dragon
Queen of the Dragons
War of the Dragons
Fate of the Dragons
Curse of the Dragons
The Chronicles of Koa Series:
Netherworld
Dark Prophet
Blood Princess
The Eura Chronicles:
Rise of the Flame
Night of the Storm
Dawn of the Forgotten (Coming Soon)
Prophecy of the Seer (Coming Soon)
THE GRAND ELITE CASTER TRILOGY:
Silenced
Summoned (Coming Soon)
Sacrificed (Coming Soon)
THE FALLEN GODS TRILOGY:
Goddess of War
Goddess of Ruin (Coming Soon)
Queen of Chaos (Coming Soon)
STANDALONE NOVELLAS:
The Scarlett Legacy
Liquid Lust
Spell Slinger
Academia of the Beast
Lost in Laguna
